Ethanol Prices

A formal Cabinet note could be moved in a few days after GoM nod

The government is considering a proposal to increase ethanol prices for the season starting November 2024, while also pushing for diversification of feedstocks, as it aims to achieve the 20 per cent blending target by 2025-26, sources said. A committee headed by a joint secretary from the petroleum ministry has already held one round of discussions on the proposal. The revision of ethanol prices will be based on the fair and remunerative price of sugarcane, they added. "The price revision is being considered on priority to incentivize production and meet our blending goals," a source said, requesting anonymity. Last week, Cooperation Minister Amit Shah called for a multi-dimensional approach to biofuel manufacturing and affirmed that India would achieve its 20 per cent ethanol blending target by 2025-26, ahead of the original 2030 deadline. Ethanol prices, fixed by the government, have remained unchanged since the 2022-23 season (November-October). Currently, ethanol produced from

The government is considering allowing sugar mills to manufacture ethanol using their excess B-heavy molasses as feedstock, amid comfortable sugar supply and stable prices in the market, according to sources. Currently, sugar mills are holding an excess stock of more than 8 lakh tonnes of B-heavy molasses -- a byproduct of the sweetener -- produced before the ban on its use on December 7, last year. A week later, the government reversed the ban and allowed the use of both cane juice and B-heavy molasses but it permitted within the overall cap of a sugar diversion of 17 lakh tonnes for ethanol production for the 2023-24 supply year (November-October). "The industry has stored B-heavy molasses for making ethanol after the crushing gets over. But the government banned it suddenly and imposed a cap. Mills now have excess stock of B-heavy molasses," the sources told PTI. Now that the crushing is coming to an end, the sugar industry has been demanding the government to permit the use of

The government has no proposal to resume sale of subsidised rice to grain-based distilleries for the production of ethanol, Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra said. "Since July last year, rice has not been diverted for ethanol production. There is no proposal as of now to revisit that policy," Chopra told reporters on Thursday. He was responding to questions on whether the government plans to resume the sale of subsidised rice for ethanol in the near future amid reports of likely fall in sugar production in the 2024-25 season (October-September). The rice sale for ethanol makers was discontinued for various reasons, including apprehensions about domestic output and high retail prices, and economic unviability, he said. On the impact on investments on grain-based distilleries, Chopra said, "This is not a policy which is cast in stone. This policy will be renewed... Maize is being encouraged for ethanol production." As of now, there is a huge jump in ethanol made from maize. About 50 cro

India is in talks with Brazil for a technological partnership to expand usage of ethanol, amid a push for alternative fuels to cut carbon emission. Brazil has been using ethanol for a very long time in vehicles and there is a lot to learn from the South American nation, Union Minister V K Singh said on Tuesday. "We can learn from them (Brazil) and collaborate with them to ensure that we also develop an ecosystem for ethanol and such alcohol-based fuels," the Minister of State (MoS) for Road Transport and Highways said at the 'Assocham-Fuels of the Future 2.0' conference in the national capital. He further said that there is a need for awareness on alternative fuels to replace fossil fuels. Beside sugarcane, ethanol can also be produced using broken rice, maize and corn. "There is also a push on sustainable aviation fuel and we have conducted a trial of sustainable aviation fuels powered flight. The greatest challenge before us today is what alternative fuel we adopt and how we can

Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday assured sugar mill owners that a solution to their problems owing to the government's policy on the use of sugar for ethanol production will be found after April, and they should not worry. India will one day become an exporter of energy and there was a need to develop agriculture for this to happen, he said, speaking at the International Sugarcane Conference organized by the Vasantdada Sugar Institute here. The institute is headed by NCP chief Sharad Pawar. The Union government last year banned the use of sugarcane juice for making ethanol, but later reversed the decision by allowing the use of sugarcane juice as well as B-heavy molasses to produce the green fuel but capped the diversion of sugar at 17 lakh tonnes. Gadkari said the sugar industry should give more importance to ethanol production. "Maximum ethanol, minimum sugar. With ethanol, we need to promote flex engine vehicles and at the same time, the government will take ...

The two major sugar producing nations in the world can play an important role in ethanol trade at the global level

The government increases ethanol blending in petrol from 1.53% in 2013-14 to 10.17 per cent in 2022 and advanced its target to achieve 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol from 2030 to 2025-26

The industry has on several occasions told the government the price of ethanol produced from sugar juice or syrup should be based on returns on equity

The government's ambitious aim to double the blending target could face challenges from two of the three sources: Grain-based and biomass-based

Reimburses Rs 17,409 cr to Cotton Corp; cotton procurement may not be needed, says secy

So far, the best ever ethanol blend with petrol has been around 5.2 per cent at all-India level.

Increase in minimum price of cane and export policy in new sugar season are also crucial to drive earnings

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) is expected to decide on the same soon, say sources

Delhi govt allows firms to produce ethanol-based sanitiser up to June 30

Indian government is in the right direction says Sousa

The present biofuel policy is invitation to ecological disaster

The 2019-20 sugar season starts from next month and the peak crushing will happen in the first five-six months

According to the new rules, the price of ethanol derived from C heavy molasses has been increased from Rs 43.46 a litre to Rs 43.75 per litre

The decision was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi here